Chapter 1009: In Youth, Learned the Art of Mountain Climbing
Once the Awakening of Insects passed, the handle of the Dipper pointed to Ding; the Spring Equinox was approaching, and the handle pointed to Ren.
The courtyard was quiet, with a faint breeze and melting moonlight. The red-dressed female ghost, addressed by the Taoist as Miss Xue, had tonight changed into a plain white gown to admire the flowers here.
After all, a female ghost was still a woman; there were many dresses in the house, filling several large chests.
But she was merely enjoying her own beauty in solitude; it had nothing to do with the saying, "a woman adorns herself for one who delights in her."
After all, that middle-aged Taoist—honestly speaking, his looks weren’t worth a glance, and he was a crass, vulgar man who had fallen into a money pit and couldn't climb out.
Inside the walls, flowers bloomed all over the ground, and there was a swing in the courtyard.
She sat on the wooden board, holding the ropes with both hands, lightly touched her toes to the ground, then lifted them off, making the swing sway gently.
In fact, before the Taoist moved in, the residence had long been abandoned, overgrown with weeds, with snakes and rats scurrying around.
Now, everything was orderly, with the courtyard full of blooming flowers, competing in beauty and fragrance.
The middle-aged Taoist, the greatest contributor to this transformation, was currently squatting at the top of the steps. In one hand, he held a white bowl filled with a juice brewed from some herb; in the other, he held a wooden-handled brush, which he was using to scrub his teeth. Occasionally, he would lift his head, his throat gurgling as he spat out the water and then resumed "washing" his teeth.
She asked, "Is it really as mystical as you say, just using dandelion juice to wash teeth? It can stabilize teeth and strengthen bones and sinews?"
Dandelions were like weeds, also known as Yellow Flower Boy. They grew freely in crevices of stones and bricks. Flower and plant atlases and paintings under heaven didn't seem to care to record this thing.
"Why would I lie to you? Is there money to be made?"
The Taoist had just tilted his head back to rinse his mouth. Now he nodded vigorously and said indistinctly, "If you follow the prescription and refine it into a kind of Immortal's Youth-Returning Pill from the mountains, even a seventy-year-old with white hair and beard could regain black hair and regrow lost teeth after taking it. For a young and strong man, the effect would be even more remarkable. For someone like Zhang Hou, though he's still young, he often stays up late reading by lamplight. Taking this pill would clear his ears and eyes and strengthen his bones and sinews—no problem at all."
Xue Ruyi laughed heartily, "What a coincidence—Master Taoist just happens to have a bottle of this secret pill on hand, right? The price isn't cheap, but for an acquaintance, it's half off?"
"No, where in the world would there be such a coincidence?"
The Taoist tilted his head and spat out a mouthful of water, then placed the wooden brush slantwise inside the white bowl, setting it by his foot. He shook his head and said, "Miss Xue, do you remember the porridge and vegetables from a few days ago? You said they were fresh and delicious and asked me what kind of vegetable they were. At the time, I kept it a secret on purpose and didn't reveal it. It was actually the early spring leaves of dandelion. You just need to blanch them in boiling water, then mix them with my secret spicy sauce and sesame oil. Eaten with plain rice porridge, it's even better than the rarest delicacies from land and sea."
Xue Ruyi nodded. When it came to pleasing the five viscera (the stomach), this Master Taoist was quite skilled, and it didn't cost much money either.
The Taoist asked tentatively, "If Miss Xue is sincere, I can follow that prescription and refine a batch of pills. Zhang Hou has been studying too hard lately for the prefectural exam; he needs a tonic. In a few more days, the dandelions will be too old, and the pill's effect won't be as good."
Xue Ruyi shot him a glare. After going around in circles for so long, isn't it just that you want to cheat money out of my pocket?
Without anyone pushing, the swing swayed on its own, rising and falling. She looked at the flowers and plants of varying heights.
Vaguely, she recalled many years ago—red walls and yellow wintersweet, incredibly beautiful.
According to this Taoist, if a person was lucky enough to be born in a prosperous era, they could forget all worries. If they were also skilled in the art of planting flowers and plants, it would be like spring everywhere throughout the four seasons, making one forget that old age was approaching.
Thus, the courtyard was kept in perfect order. Some plants were in the ground, some in pots. The flowers were lush and fragrant, different species blooming one after another; some were rich but not gaudy, some were light but not cold.
On the courtyard side, there were as many as seven or eight kinds of potted offerings prepared by the Taoist for welcoming spring. Besides pine, bamboo, and plum, there were also several pots of flowers that the Taoist called the "commander" of spring.
What he said sounded nice, but in reality, he was just taking them out to sell for money.
For example, there was a pot of old-rooted flowers whose origin the Taoist hadn't mentioned. The branches were as thick as a woman's arm, some parts had shed bark, revealing the wood, and the old roots protruded like dragon claws. It was planted in a red sand basin, with an antique and slanting appearance. Even an outsider like Xue Ruyi knew that this bonsai wouldn't lack for buyers willing to pay a high price.
Those peonies planted in the ground, which the Taoist called "late spring flowers," were placed in a sunny spot. During the bitter cold, the Taoist had even covered them with straw. After spring arrived this year, he watered them daily. Before they sprouted, he had even watered them once with manure, which made Xue Ruyi frown when she saw it.
Xue Ruyi glanced at the several flowerpots neatly arranged in the corner. The branches were slender, slightly vine-like, and the flowers were a light yellow.
Many bonsai came and went in the courtyard, probably all exchanged for bits of silver. But these flowers, once they appeared, hadn't been moved at all. Perhaps the Taoist liked them especially, or more likely, they couldn't fetch a good price, so he simply didn't sell them.
She pointed and asked, "Are you most fond of those few pots of 'Golden Waistband'?"
This flower had a more common name: winter jasmine.
The Taoist looked up at the corner and nodded. "For me, flowers and plants are like a famous general leading an army—the more, the better. I welcome all. This flower is the first to welcome spring; it blooms even before the plum blossom. Moreover, it flowers abundantly and has a long blooming period. That's why it's my favorite, bar none."
She asked absentmindedly, "Wu Di, what's your real name?"
The middle-aged Taoist smiled. "Chen Jianxian. 'Jian' for seeing, 'Xian' for worthy."
She was taken aback. So frank?
The Taoist suggested sincerely, "Miss Xue can call me by my full name from now on."
She silently repeated the name twice. Chen Jianxian? Chen Sword Immortal? Finally catching on, Xue Ruyi spat, "A dog's mouth doesn't produce ivory—never a truthful word!"
Wu Di meant Invincible. Chen Jianxian meant Chen Sword Immortal?
The middle-aged Taoist laughed. "Why curse at me for no reason? I'm old now and have gained some skill in cultivating my nature. If it were my hot-tempered younger days, I'd argue with you about this—especially during my youth, when I hated evil as much as an enemy. Hah."
Truly the epitome of fooling ghosts.
Xue Ruyi couldn't be bothered to engage. She asked, "I've never asked—what are you doing in the capital?"
"Catching up with an old acquaintance."
"An old acquaintance? Who? A relative? A distant relative? Or a friend from the martial arts world? Couldn't make a name outside, so you came to look up some friend on the road for a meal and a partnership in swindling?"
The Taoist, who called himself Chen Jianxian, shook his head with a smile. "None of those."
Xue Ruyi's interest was piqued. She joked, "Don't tell me it's for revenge?"
She turned her head to look at the Taoist, and perhaps finding her own idea too amusing, she couldn't help laughing. "Just you? With those lousy talismans that couldn't even scare me? If you really got into a fight, how many strong men could you take on?"
The Taoist laughed. "Haven't you noticed that I practice boxing and walk the stance every morning and evening? I don't even need any immortal arts; I can take two or three strong men with my bare hands."
She rolled her eyes. Just walking a few steps back and forth like that? There were dozens of martial arts schools in the capital, big and small. She figured any random martial artist could knock him flat.
"Go on, if it really is for revenge, I can help you scheme. If it even leads to a murder case, I can help you cover your escape."
She was one who delighted in watching the excitement.
The Taoist shook his head. "Miss Xue, stop guessing. It's just catching up. Making a ruckus, killing and fighting—that's not what an honest citizen with a clean background like me would do."
If he hadn't learned of a certain long-term scheme of the Ma family in advance, he would have come to Yu Xuan Country much earlier to "catch up."
But meeting them earlier would have been meaningless. It was very possible that instead of taking revenge, he would have been eradicated root and branch by his enemy.
After escorting Li Baoping and the others to the Great Sui Academy, during his first southern journey to Baoping Continent, he had encountered Ma Kuxuan in a foreign land and even fought him.
Fate was unpredictable. He hadn't expected that on his second journey to the Sword Qi Great Wall, he would stay there so long.
After successfully returning to the Haoran World, he established a clan, built a branch clan, borrowed landscapes to supplement the earth's deficiencies, and tempered swords beyond the heavens...
Xue Ruyi said out of nowhere, "A dog that bites never barks. I think a person like you looks like a soft dough, but if you get ruthless, with a raised hand and a lowered blade, you must be extremely cold-blooded."
The Taoist remained composed and smiled. "The joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, loves and hates of this world are all like slowly brewing wine. Only when you unseal the mud cap and drink must you be bold—a hearty drink."
Xue Ruyi turned her head. "Frightening."
The Taoist laughed. "Those who fear neither heaven nor earth—have there ever been few?"
Without any reason, she thought of the officials in the nearby county yamen. Some lent money at usury in secret, while others smuggled salt. Of course, the officials wouldn't do it themselves; they had trusted underlings to handle such dirty work. And they had backers—the backer's backer seemed to be a Vice Minister of Justice. As for who that Vice Minister's backer was, she didn't know. The Minister? His Majesty the Emperor? Or some immortal from the mountains who had achieved the Way?
Xue Ruyi asked, "Since they're already so wealthy, why don't they know when to stop? They earn money they can't spend in several lifetimes, and their homes are piled with silver mountains?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "A number of so-called 'families that cut ice'—if they didn't act this way, doggedly scraping and exploiting the people's resources, busy every day sucking marrow from bones, with no taboos in their conduct, they wouldn't become what Miss Xue calls 'so wealthy.' There's a sequence hidden here, not complicated."
Xue Ruyi was momentarily speechless.
Talking with him about casual matters was fine, but as soon as it touched on principles, it became utterly dull.
Earlier, this Taoist would also go with the common folk to the frozen river and break ice to sell for money. It seemed he was willing to try any trade that could earn money, like bonsai, at which he was quite skilled.
She remembered not long after the Taoist moved into the residence. She had roughly discerned his character. Regardless of how money-grubbing he was, when it came to matters between men and women, he was indeed a gentleman.
So in the past, she often teased this man who was as serious as a Confucian moralist. But one day, the Taoist said just one thing that disgusted her thoroughly. After that, she never bothered to tease him again. At the time, she was sitting on this swing, and the middle-aged Taoist, sitting on the steps behind her, turned his head and asked that Wu Di if he was looking at her bottom.
In fact, before that, whenever she said something spicy, the Taoist pretended not to hear and never responded.
Probably annoyed by her pestering, the Taoist finally dropped a line: "A bigger backside, can it hold more shit?"
Crude! Lewd!
Xue Ruyi sighed for no reason. "Flowers and grass for one autumn."
Whether cultivators of the Way, spirits, or ghosts, how was their view of life, aging, sickness, and death in the mortal world any different from ordinary people watching flowers bloom and wither in the courtyard?
She turned her head and asked, "How did you become a Qi refiner?"
The Taoist smiled gently. "By a stroke of fate, in my youth, I once learned the art of mountain climbing."
She turned back and said softly, "You're a clever man; you've probably guessed roughly. As a ghost, the reason I can stay here long-term is surely because I have some support."
The Taoist nodded. It wasn't hard to understand or guess. "Someone up above."
At the capital's City God Temple, there was a powerful Civil Judge who had been an acquaintance of hers in their former lives.
This Judge had twice patrolled the residence at night to meet with her. But it was something like an incognito visit, not done with great fanfare.
The yin and yang each had their own officialdom. As the capital City God Temple of Yu Xuan Country, it was by regulation set with twenty-four departments. This Civil Judge, as the right-hand man of the City God, oversaw six departments, including the Yin-Yang Department, which was the head of all departments. But that was old history that had turned; now, it was hard to say.
In any officialdom, regardless of depth of knowledge or skill, regardless of the yang world or the yin world, there's one thing to fear: not fitting in.
Xue Ruyi suddenly turned her head, her face as cold as ice, full of murderous intent.
The Taoist said helplessly, "Miss Xue, we're all respectable people. What are you thinking?"
Exactly—read fewer scholar-beauty romances and more classics and commentaries.
Xue Ruyi fumed, "Then you know what I'm thinking?!"
The Taoist said, "If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext."
Seeing the female ghost's expression still ugly, the Taoist had to explain, "You say I'm greedy for money, that's one thing. But lecherous? Miss Xue, you may not trust my character, but you must at least trust your own judgment of people, right?"
Xue Ruyi felt that this reasoning made sense.
The Taoist asked curiously, "May I presumptuously ask, who is the powerful backer in the officialdom behind Miss Xue? How high an official must it be for Miss Xue to settle down just a few steps from the county yamen, and yet never a single underworld official or ghost constable from the county City God Temple has come knocking?"
Xue Ruyi sneered, "The General of Shackles at the county City God Temple is a good friend of mine. Are you scared?"
The Taoist secretly swallowed his saliva, stood up, and bowed far off in the direction of the county City God Temple. He shook his hands vigorously and said solemnly, "I, cultivator, am focused on cultivation, harbor uprightness in my person, and evil cannot assail me. I have never feared walking the night road. Besides, the General of Shackles is by duty responsible for punishing evil and upholding justice, the most impartial enforcer of the law. Especially the General of Shackles in our county, along with the Seventh Lord and the Eighth Lord—they are officials with well-deserved reputations! If I had any influence at the capital City God Temple, I would long have recommended that these three worthies be promoted!"
Xue Ruyi rubbed her forehead. All that flattery, and they couldn't even hear it.
This place was unlike others; even the county City God didn't meddle here.
"Chen Jianxian, don't you have any woman you love?"
Otherwise, why would he be so disinclined to stay home?
"I do. Why wouldn't I?"
"Really?"
Xue Ruyi knew he was a genuine Qi refiner, though his realm was negligible—two realms? At most a third-realm Qi refiner? Still, he had one foot in the mountain.
She teased, "Which girl? How old? Is she about your age, or a young woman? Is she bewitched to take a fancy to you? 'A man in middle age stops everything.' You're this old now, over forty, still with nothing to show for it, wandering around with a private Taoist certificate. Find a chance to bring her by. Hah, I'll tear you apart and spare her from being ruined by you."
In truth, this Taoist earned quite a bit setting up a fortune-telling stall every day—more than an ordinary small household in the capital.
But as a Qi refiner, it was completely unremarkable. Enduring wind and sun every day, how many years would it take to earn a single snowflake coin?
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Then you won't be able to tear us apart."
Xue Ruyi turned her head and teased, "A woman who could fancy you probably isn't much to look at, right?"
The middle-aged man sitting on the steps just laughed it off, folded his arms across his chest, raised his head to look at the moon, his gaze tender.
Xue Ruyi curled her lips.
Oh dear, how sour.
Perhaps the man behind her was no good, perhaps the woman he cherished was indeed ordinary in appearance, but at least they loved each other.
A man's mouth is a ghost to deceive—sweet words.
But the eyes don't lie.
The Taoist took out a vermilion gourd flask, an old item with a glossy patina.
Xue Ruyi caught the scent of wine and couldn't help asking, "Which tavern's brew is so fragrant?"
The Taoist smiled. "Homemade wine. Of course it's good to drink. Universally acknowledged as high quality and low price, but I have to drink it sparingly."
Xue Ruyi simply stood up on the swing.
She remembered when the middle-aged Taoist first moved into the residence, the swing would sway with no one on it, and even emit a string of silvery laughter.
That frightened the passing Taoist half to death. He immediately grabbed a stack of talismans from his sleeve, his wrist trembling as he took out a tinderbox, lit the talismans, held them high, stomped the Big Dipper steps, and flailed around. As he swung a fire dragon around, he sprinted away, shouting some mantras and true words from a certain Taoist lineage, then banged the door shut with the speed of lightning. With a series of crackling sounds, he plastered the door, walls, and windows with cheap yellow paper talismans.
The Taoist looked at the back of the figure standing on the swing, sighed, raised the gourd flask in his hand, and silently took a sip of wine.
A similar scene, but not quite—the same swing inside the wall, the path outside the wall.
Xue Ruyi joked, "By the way, who exactly are you here to meet? You've been in the capital so long and haven't seen them even once? Isn't His Majesty the Emperor such a difficult person to face?"
The Taoist seemed reluctant to talk about it and changed the subject. "In a few days, it will be the Spring Equinox. Miss Xue should be more careful."
When the season reaches the Spring Equinox, at this point yin and yang are exactly balanced, day and night are equal, and cold and heat are balanced. Yin and yang clash to produce thunder and stir to produce lightning.
For ghosts in the world, the period from the Awakening of Insects to before Clear and Bright is relatively hard to endure, especially after the Spring Equinox, when yang energy gradually flourishes and strikes against yin, causing thunder to occur.
Xue Ruyi clearly didn't take it to heart. Although she was a female ghost, she was a yin entity that had achieved cultivation, almost like a heroic spirit, so she naturally didn't fear these thunder and lightning born naturally from the movement of the solar terms.
The middle-aged Taoist only mentioned it casually, rubbing his hands and saying, "On the day of the Spring Equinox, I'll show off my skills again. I'll set up a whole table of spring plates for you. On the Spring Equinox, we eat spring vegetables: bamboo shoots, Artemisia selengensis, toon sprouts... I've traveled north and south and been to many places. After the Spring Equinox, near the Colorful Garment Country, there's the peach blossom flood. Mandarin fish and crucian carp in the river are delicious steamed or braised. Further south, near the sea, if it's this season, a big plate of yellow sand clams stir-fried with chives—tsk."
Xue Ruyi said impatiently, "All you know is eating?"
The Taoist smiled. "Food is the heaven of the people."
Xue Ruyi was momentarily speechless. She jumped off the swing, interlaced her fingers, and stretched.
The Taoist looked up at the sky and said softly, "Rain on the Spring Equinox portends a year of abundance, but it seems this year the capital region will have clear weather without rain that day."
Bringing his gaze back, he laughed. "According to my calculations, on Clear and Bright day, there might be thunder, and it will be quite loud. Miss Xue needn't think too much about it then."
Xue Ruyi sneered. "So besides divining people, Master Chen can also divine heaven? A true master doesn't show his hand."
The Taoist said, "All learning, whether easy or hard, deep or shallow, is just a matter of 'accumulating thought and suddenly understanding.' It's not difficult when it's not, and it's difficult when it's not."
Xue Ruyi flicked her wrist, about to leave.
The Taoist pointed to the side hall on one side of the main hall behind him. "Miss Xue, in the next few days, I may need to use this treasure spot. I'm informing you in advance."
Xue Ruyi nodded, puzzled. "What for? Preparing to entertain friends? Worried I'll come out and mess things up?"
The Taoist shook his head and smiled. "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed."
Xue Ruyi warned, "It's fine to set up a banquet, but don't call over a few brothel girls for merriment and entertainment—that would be a filthy mess!"
The Taoist waved his hand repeatedly. "That would cost dozens of taels of silver. Am I drinking wine or drinking money?"
Xue Ruyi sneered. "You know the market well indeed. It's true that a man isn't dissolute only because he's poor."
The Taoist smiled. "What men fear most is pretending to be foolish and stupid. If they have money, they make a move; if they have no money, they still stir their hearts. Someone as upright and pure as me is truly honest and dutiful."
Xue Ruyi drifted away.
The Taoist walked into the side hall, glanced at the long table, nodded, and gently twisted his fists in their sockets, preparing to fetch brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from his quarters to work his magic here.
As he turned his head, he saw a face hanging upside down right before his eyes. Instinctively, he threw a punch, stopping his fist just before the female ghost's face. He shouted angrily, "Xue Ruyi, you'll scare someone to death!"
The female ghost drifted down. The Taoist huffed and strode out of the side hall. She followed behind, asking, "What are you using the side hall for?"
The Taoist said grumpily, "Living in the capital isn't easy. A horse doesn't get fat without night grass. I have to earn money for rent, don't I?"
The female ghost yawned. "I'm just curious. You're a third-rate Qi refiner, but at least you're a Qi refiner. Why are you so fond of money?"
"Getting by, daily necessities like fuel, rice, oil, and salt—they recognize money, not people. Just don't stick an 'only' in front of it. For an immortal, the so-called 'true person' is just being earnest, not recognizing people. Just don't lack that 'only' character."
"Cultivation has a thousand roads; ten thousand methods are explained by a single character."
Xue Ruyi frowned and asked, "What explanation?"
"Heart."
"Form and spirit unite; heart and spirit are in accord."
Probably because he had traveled the jianghu for many years, he knew all sorts of messy heterodox paths. In short, this fake Taoist had low cultivation but very mixed learning.
No matter what she talked about, he could keep up.
As he walked, he spoke slowly, "Earth Immortal, Earth Immortal, a land-bound deity, half between heaven and earth, refining the form and dwelling in the world, always in the human realm, with a long yang life, nearly immortal.
"The one who attains the Way through ghost cultivation is called a Ghost Immortal. But compared to the former land-bound true men, they are still slightly inferior—after all, they have abandoned the yang spirit's external body and only possess a single yin spirit as a pure and spiritual ghost. It's not true Great Dao. Therefore, the divine image is unclear, and their name is absent from the Three Mountains. Though they may not fall into reincarnation, it's still difficult to ascend to the Green Register. They have nowhere to go forward and nowhere to retreat. Attaining the Way is quite difficult..."
Xue Ruyi followed beside him, feeling muddled. Much of this content she was hearing for the first time.
She didn't know from which strange unofficial history he had copied it.
Seeing the middle-aged Taoist stop and start fumbling in his sleeve, he looked up and smiled. "Miss Xue, we're already so familiar and congenial, aren't we? Don't think that I'm only good at fortune-telling. My real specialty is talismans. How about a deal? For a cultivator with a background like Miss Xue's, it works wonders. Just bathe, fast, burn this talisman, light three incense sticks, and silently recite a few times, 'So-and-so respectfully pays homage to Mr. Three Mountains and Nine Marquises.' No complicated ceremonies. The effect—unbelievable!"
She sneered, "The same old trick again—cheating acquaintances! Can't you come up with a new trick?"
The Taoist sighed. "I won't say much about other talismans; they are indeed a bit lacking in efficacy. But when have I ever actively pushed talismans on Miss Xue? Only this talisman is the real deal—honest and true, no cheating children or deceiving women. Buying one is a small profit; buying a stack is a big profit. In short, the more you buy, the more you gain. If I weren't on such good terms with Miss Xue, I wouldn't easily show it to others."
Xue Ruyi sneered, "If it's so good, why don't you use it yourself?"
The Taoist looked at her with pity in his eyes.
It was the look of a clever man pitying a fool.
She realized she had misspoken. He had indeed said it was for a cultivator like her. After hesitating for a moment, she beckoned. "Let me have a look first to appraise its quality."
It was an ordinary yellow talisman paper, with cinnabar ground as ink. On the talisman paper were drawn three mountain peaks, looking odd and not like any proper talisman.
She wouldn't be that sucker. Though her mind was made up, she still asked, "How many copper coins for one talisman?"
The Taoist complained, "What are you thinking? A few copper coins? You can't even buy a single sheet of talisman paper!"
Xue Ruyi said, "Old Man Liu's shop on the next street sells this kind of cheap yellow paper by the ream for a few coins. And if Master Chen cuts them smaller, wouldn't that be pure profit?"
No wonder the Taoist always called Old Man Liu "old brother" whenever he saw him.
"Talisman paper isn't expensive, but the technique is profound. As they say, 'A mountain doesn't need to be high if there's an immortal; it will be famous.' The same applies to talismans. Drawing talismans depends on the talisman's core; the cheapness of the paper is secondary."
Seeing the Taoist remain calm, not blushing at all, he pulled a few more talismans from his sleeve. "Alright, alright, Miss Xue has high standards. That's fine. These few talismans of mine are of a higher grade, but the price is a bit higher. These are the ones I keep at the bottom of my chest—usually not shown to anyone..."
Tsk, tsk. Truly a businessman used to making deals—step by step, plenty of backup plans.
"Stop saying 'I, poor Taoist, I, poor Taoist' all the time. Master Chen, aren't you embarrassed?"
Xue Ruyi tossed the talismans back to the Taoist and swept away.
Spring Equinox, no rain, the earth's energy warm.
People in the capital's outskirts went on spring outings. Besides the gorgeously dressed children of officials, there were many beauties by the water. On the women's heads, spring pennants fluttered.
The sky was full of kites: clever swallows, extremely long centipedes, some paired for battles like eagles and kites. The old-name kite shops in the capital made a fortune.
According to court ritual, the emperor and sovereign must sacrifice to the sun at the altar on the Spring Equinox.
After today's ritual, His Majesty the Emperor of Yu Xuan Country would have the Ministry of Rites send out a spring ox picture made within the palace for all capital officials of the fourth rank and above. It would be a two-part red paper with dragon patterns, printed with sayings and freshly composed poems about the twenty-four solar terms written by Hanlin Academy scholars, and accompanied by a farming picture carefully drawn by a court painter awaiting orders. The pictures were mostly delivered by young, dignified officials of the Ministry of Rites, while newly promoted metropolitan graduates from other ministries often participated as well. They were called "Spring Officials" on this day. The gatekeepers of the mansions of imperial relatives, generals, ministers, and high officials had to give the Spring Officials a symbolic red envelope. Those above followed those below, and among the common folk in the capital, there appeared "Spring Tellers" of a similar role. Officials sent pictures to officials; some clever citizens with a knack for making money would send pictures to the wealthy. After knocking on the door, they would say auspicious phrases like "don't miss the farming season" and "timely winds and rains." Working all day, if they were nimble enough and visited enough streets and households, they could earn quite a bit. Of course, there were more doors shut in their faces. Some wealthy households, annoyed by frequent knocks and demands for red envelopes, simply had the gatekeeper chase people away.
In the capital of Yu Xuan Country, some experienced Spring Tellers, even if they had to go a long way, would go to Yongjia Street. On that street lived families that had been extremely wealthy for generations—otherwise, they wouldn't have named the street after a county name. Naturally, these street-level Spring Tellers weren't entitled to deliver pictures to such families. But they would only go to one household named Ma, because they were sure not to go empty-handed; everyone could get a large red envelope. It was said that the gatekeeper of this household spent the whole day handing out red envelopes. As long as you came to deliver a picture and said a few good words like "abundant harvests of all grains" and "favorable weather," anyone who showed up would receive a full six taels of silver. No matter how tired the Ma family's gatekeeper was, he always had a smiling face and was very cordial to all the Spring Tellers delivering pictures.
The capital had two counties: generally, the north was wealthy and the south was poor. The latter was mainly under the jurisdiction of the Changning County yamen.
Two Spring Tellers who had come from the north to ply their trade in the south—one old, one young—one delivering spring ox pictures and the other speaking auspicious words, had been running from morning till night. After a day's work, after deducting the tribute they had to pay to a certain river-lake gang, they had earned only three taels of silver. There was no helping it; this seemingly temporary trade, year after year, had developed many tricks and rules to follow. Not anyone could be a Spring Teller, nor could they knock on just any door randomly. If they didn't follow the rules, they might end up cornered in an alley and beaten. Still, there were some markets and alleys where there was a certain chance to "pick up a bargain." In the twilight, the young man was still fine, but the old man was a bit tired. On this street, no one answered their knocks. The thin old man sat on a step, one hand on his back, the other massaging his legs. It seemed they would return empty-handed. Were the residents of this street really so poor? Logically, being so close to the Changning County yamen, they shouldn't be so strapped. Earlier, the old man had gritted his teeth and spent eight qian of silver to buy the right to deliver pictures and tell spring on this street. Eight qian silver! Just like that, it went down the drain. The old man looked dejected—not even a splash.
The young man said he wanted to try his luck elsewhere. The old man smiled and said no need. The young man, carrying a bamboo basket on his back, crouched down and gently massaged the old man's legs.
The gate of the residence creaked open, and a middle-aged Taoist walked out. The young man immediately stood up and took a spring ox picture from the bamboo box on his back. His grandfather was already very tired, so the opening words his grandfather was supposed to say—the young man had followed him all day and already memorized them by heart—so he would take over. But before the young man could speak, the Taoist smiled, waved his hand, and uttered two words: "Same trade."
Those two words were more effective than any polite refusal.
The young man was greatly disappointed, a look of disbelief on his face. If he wouldn't give money, that was fine; there was no need for an excuse—it was perfectly normal. But why did this Master Taoist have to deceive them?
The middle-aged Taoist reached into his sleeve and pulled out a sheet of rice paper, gently shaking it, stroking his beard, and smiling. "The original draft for the spring ox pictures in this entire market area of Changning County was drawn by me."
The old man immediately stood up, quickly scanned the so-called original draft of the spring ox picture, first made a fist-and-palm salute, then smiled and asked, "How much does Master Taoist charge for a spring ox picture?"
"Ten coppers."
"Such a low price?! That's half of what's charged in Yongjia County?"
The pictures delivered by street-level Spring Tellers were almost all rougher than the next—a world of difference from the official imperial spring ox pictures, both in material and content.
"I'm being generous."
"Then could I order a hundred spring ox pictures from Master Taoist for next year?"
The Taoist shook his head and smiled. "Not convenient. I'm just a wandering traveler and have stopped here temporarily. I won't stay long."
The young man finally spoke, asking tentatively, "I heard there's a fortune-telling stall near the Changning County yamen. Its fortunes are very accurate. They draw lots and read palms, and they're good at character divination and copper coin oracle."
The middle-aged Taoist stroked his beard and smiled. "Well, now that's a coincidence. If nothing else, far away or right before your eyes, it's me."
The young man's face lit up with surprise. "Master Taoist is really that Immortal Wu of the Iron Mouth and Divine Judgment?"
The Taoist narrowed his eyes and smoothed his beard. "Just an undeserved reputation."
Over by the wall, the colorful-skirted female ghost rolled her eyes.
On the step beside them, the old man seemed to want to say something, but he looked at the young man who was his only family, saw the longing and hope in his eyes, and couldn't bear to say anything.
The Taoist smiled. "Young master, are you asking about love or wealth?"
The young man instantly blushed. Why was he being called "young master"? This Master Taoist was too kind.
The young man plucked up his courage and said, "I'm not asking about those. I just want to ask one thing: can I ask Master Taoist to draw a few talismans? The kind where you set a basin by the roadside, burn the talisman paper inside, and make offerings to ancestors from afar."
The Taoist asked doubtfully, "Why not go to the graves, sweep them, and burn paper money during Clear and Bright?"
The young man said, "My grandfather and I are from elsewhere. We came from the south, walked a very long way, and lost our home a long time ago."
The old man sighed. Actually, they weren't blood-related grandfather and grandson. The twists and turns were too many to explain.
At first, the old man had taken care of the child; later, the child took care of the old man. They depended on each other for survival, like repaying a mutual debt.
The Taoist asked, "If such talismans really existed, how much would you be willing to pay?"
"All the money I have on me. If that's not enough, I can write an IOU and sign a contract!"
"An IOU can't really be taken seriously. How much savings do you have at the moment?"
"Over the years, I've saved seven taels and eight qian of silver, and a jar of copper coins!"
"That's all?"
The young man was too ashamed to speak. The old man felt guilty.
"I can indeed draw the Three Officials talismans, which can bring blessings, pardon sins, and alleviate disasters and misfortunes for the deceased."
The Taoist fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "But these talismans are precious. Your silver is far from enough."
The young man was about to speak, but the Taoist looked impatient, waved his sleeve, and began to dismiss them. "Say no more."
The young man stood there. The Taoist asked, "Give you ten days. Are you willing to borrow, steal, or rob to raise a hundred taels of silver?"
The dark, thin young man lowered his head, his expression gloomy.
Just now, the Taoist looked at the young man, looking at the young man in his own eyes.
The young man bowed in thanks and then led the old man away.
A wanderer without a home, longing for his hometown, melancholy and burdened.
Over by the wall, the female ghost's face darkened.
Words that wound can be as sharp as swords and halberds.
Suddenly, the Taoist called out to the young man. The young man turned around in confusion. The Taoist smiled and said, "As heaven moves, so the noble man strengthens himself unceasingly. Those who help themselves are helped by heaven."
The Taoist waved his hand. "Go on."
The young man was taken aback, then bowed again.
The Taoist put his hands in his sleeves and turned back into the residence.
Xue Ruyi stood inside the gate, sneering. "What a fine cultivator of the Way! Truly hard-hearted! If you can't help, don't put on a show. And even if you won't help, why resort to those hollow, deceptive words? Sickening!"
She had originally warmed up to this money-grubbing fake Taoist after spending time together and had even felt some closeness. But seeing this scene today made her absolutely furious.
The Taoist smiled. "Those who are open-minded have no empty words."
The colorful-skirted female ghost flashed and disappeared, leaving behind, "Get out of this residence within three days."
The Taoist laughed it off.
The night was heavy.
In the distance, the sound of night watchmen's clappers echoed.
The two painted door gods pasted on the residence gate flickered with golden light. Two high officials from the capital City God Temple walked out—a man dressed as a scholar, and a woman clad in golden armor with a seven-star copper coin sword on her back.
Sensing the disturbance at the gate, Xue Ruyi quickly drifted out from the pavilion, came to the main hall entrance to receive guests, and respectfully made a curtsey. Her voice soft, she said, "Greetings, Judge Hong, Sister Ji."
The Civil Judge nodded slightly in acknowledgment. He had left the City God Temple this time with only one trusted subordinate, who had held the Yin-Yang Department for three hundred years.
The head official of the Yin-Yang Department in each City God Temple, as the foremost of the departments, could be considered the City God's first assistant.
The female heroic spirit in the high position smiled. "Ruyi Niang, long time no see. Are you well?"
Xue Ruyi had been a palace maid at the founding of the country, specially responsible for opening boxes and inspecting pomegranate skirts for the Empress who had come within a hair's breadth of usurping the throne in the history of Yu Xuan Country. The Empress had nicknamed her Ruyi Niang.
She asked softly, "Has the top scholar of the prefectural exam been internally decided?"
The City God heroic spirit named Ji, whom Xue Ruyi called Sister Ji, sighed. "Not just the top scholar, but even the top Metropolitan Graduate title in the upcoming spring exam is going to be given to a fool. In fact, the entire capital spring exam, both the metropolitan exam and the palace exam, unless unexpected, besides Ma Che being the Principal Graduate, the second, third, and other spots have long been decided behind closed doors."
Xue Ruyi bit her lip, her face full of grief. "Why? If it were Ma Che, who truly has talent and learning, that would be one thing. But why should those dandy sons of privilege all pass the exam?!"
The head of the Yin-Yang Department hesitated for a moment, then revealed the secret. "The Military Judge is involved."
Xue Ruyi said indignantly, "The balance of a nation's literary fortune—how dare they treat it so lightly?! Ji Xiaopin, you and Judge Hong, and even the City God, knowing this, do nothing?!"
Ji Xiaopin said, "The Military Judge has a set of arguments to explain himself; it's not straightforward corruption of the law. It involves ancestral protection and such, combined with some good deeds in the yang world. Xue Ruyi, you can understand it as exploiting loopholes in certain underworld statutes. Moreover, the Western Marchmount's heir-presumptive mountain that governs Yu Xuan Country..."
The Civil Judge frowned. "Speak cautiously."
Ji Xiaopin had to change the subject. "Unless someone submits a complaint, burns a talisman, and files a petition to the Inspection Department of that Western Marchmount's Manor. But leapfrog complaints have always been a major taboo in officialdom."
When Ji Xiaopin got to this point, she glanced at the Civil Judge beside her, her expression complex.
The Civil Judge said self-deprecatingly, "Though it hasn't come to the point of a clay bodhisattva crossing a river—hard to save even oneself—still, now in the capital City God Temple, except for Ji Xiaopin's Yin-Yang Department, I can't move anyone. To be honest, even the Literary Fortune Department has already defected to that Military Judge. If even the Literary Fortune Department is like this, the other departments are even worse. Hah, a new dynasty has its own ministers; the yin and yang worlds share the same fate."
In the City God Temple, the powers of the Literary Fortune and Military Fortune departments were not fixed; they varied by time and place. For example, the salt office of the nearby county yamen...
Because of the agreement with the Zhang family's ancestors, if a descendant in later generations produced a first-class metropolitan graduate who brought glory to the family, her contract would be fulfilled.
Ji Xiaopin said, "There's a mastermind behind the scenes deliberately doing this to transfer Lord Hong away from the capital City God Temple of Yu Xuan Country."
She said indignantly, "One rat dropping spoils the whole pot of porridge!"
Ji Xiaopin took a deep breath and continued explaining to Xue Ruyi, "Lord Hong might be transferred to a position near the Grand Li secondary capital as a provincial City God."
Moving from Civil Judge of the capital City God Temple of Yu Xuan Country to a provincial City God of the Grand Li Dynasty was absolutely not a demotion; it was a solid promotion in official fortune.
Xue Ruyi immediately made a curtsey, suppressing the indignation in her heart, and said softly, "This servant first congratulates Judge Hong on his promotion."
The Civil Judge said gloomily, "In officialdom, promotion is indeed promotion. But leaving like this—ultimately, I'm not reconciled."
The City God officials at various levels in the world, unlike the yang world officialdom with its intricate personal connections, had no human networks or incense-fellowship to speak of. Once they left a certain place, they were not allowed to meddle in the affairs of their former posts. This was an unbreakable iron law of the underworld. Only if a stranger in another place was involved in something like a murder case could two City God temples cooperate in an investigation.
Xue Ruyi said bitterly, "I've endured for so many years. A few more years is nothing."
The Civil Judge glanced out the window at the courtyard and smiled. "This Taoist with only a private certificate is truly an elegant man, worthy of the name."
Ji Xiaopin nodded. "Just looking at the way he tends the flowers and plants, one can tell he's extraordinary. He's more like a carefree hermit from the mountains and wilds, not at all the money-grubbing wretch he appears to be."
In a small room, the Taoist's snores were vigorous.
Xue Ruyi, still angry at the thought of him, said darkly, "He claims his real name is Chen Jianxian."
Ji Xiaopin shook her head. "Just listen and let it pass. Don't take it seriously."
Judge Hong smiled. "This alias is better. 'See worthy and think of emulation; choose the good and follow it.'"
"Take the highest as the standard; see worthiness and think of being equal. The noble person is cautious in solitude; seeing unworthiness, he reflects within himself."
Ji Xiaopin hesitated briefly, then said, "Miss Xue, this temporary lodger—Lord Hong and I can't see through his cultivation depth. He might be a worldly expert who delights in playing among mortals, or he might just be a swindler. Hard to say. Since he isn't a native of Yu Xuan Country, we can't consult the archives. We don't know his true place of origin; the travel permit linked to his private certificate is clearly forged. And since he hasn't committed any prohibited or illegal acts in the capital, we have no way to access secret records from other countries."
She couldn't, for such a private matter, have the capital City God Temple deal with the Grand Li Dynasty.
The capital was so vast, and he had chosen this very residence to stay in. Xue Ruyi couldn't help suspecting he had some motive. As the Civil Judge of the capital City God Temple, he had come here twice before on night tours, partly to see an old friend and partly to determine the fake Taoist's cultivation realm and whether he had any ulterior motives regarding the residence and that secret treasure. Qi refiners, especially those wild cultivators from the mountains who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals—what methods wouldn't they use?
In truth, Chen Ping'an had just happened to pass by. There was no intent or scheme.
A treasure that already had an owner was valuable, but it wasn't an ownerless object. Would he stoop to taking it by force?
Ji Xiaopin's face suddenly changed dramatically. "Has he come?"
Ma Kuxuan!
She didn't even dare to speak his name directly.
The Civil Judge also found it a headache. He nodded. "He just entered the city. Earlier, he drank a meal at Zhe'er Mountain God Song Yu's place, then disappeared. I don't know why he only entered the capital now."
In the small room, the Taoist slowly opened his eyes, but soon his breathing was like thunderous snores.